A/N: Hello and Merry Christmas. I'll probably be tweaking this chapter a bit more - am not thrilled with the title or the short conversation at the end - but I wanted to get something uploaded today, because I won't be fit to do it in a few hours after I finish clearing the driveway of snow...
So, here we have a wee filler chapter - bits and pieces, minor moments... but all essential to move the plot forward. One little Irish lesson: Codlóidh tú anois (kod-lo-ih too a-nish), which means, 'You will sleep now'. This phrase was first used in A Question of Faith. Anyone remember that far back?
Disclaimer: The characters of the anime InuYasha are the property of Takahashi Rumiko/Shogakukan and Yomiuri TV Sunrise 2000. I do lay claim, however, to Aine and Lon. And, Kakusamaru.
Chapter Eighteen: Discoveries
The Dé Dananns' journey back to the village did not take long. Lon, once again in his equine form and his concealing púca's glamour firmly in place (he was determined that Naraku's spy would never notice their passage), moved at a slow lope as he carried Aine through the valley toward the mortal settlement. Still, sufficient time passed to allow the two to compare notes. Aine told him of Sesshoumaru's speculations on Kakusamaru and the ghost of the Lake of Tears; he told her of his conversation with the dog demon's servant.
Lon's tale was the longer.
'Talkative little beggar, so he was,' was his summation of Jaken. 'But, nothing he said was redundant. He may be a pompous little toad, but he's observant, right enough. Has a mind for detail. Lots of detail.'
'So... much of this conflict with Naraku stems from the creature coveting a talisman of Power?' mused Aine.
'Aye,' said Lon. 'The dark one relies on this "Shikon Jewel" for his strength, and he's caused a lot of misery to get it, apparently.'
'A magical catalyst...' mused Aine. 'I wonder...'
'Lass?' asked the púca.
'Do you remember my telling you, Lon, of the reading I performed on Kagome last autumn?' she said.
Londubh's equine ears twitched back as he listened. 'I do, so. The resonance of her life energies wasn't quite what you expected, and she'd been in contact with... Ah, I see.'
'Aye,' said Aine. 'At some time, young Kagome was in contact with a conduit for great Power.'
The shape-shifter toss his head. 'So, this Jewel might be somehow tied to the girl, then? It would make sense, wouldn't it now? After all, why should such a powerful creature as Naraku show so much interest in a group of youngsters?' He thought for a moment. 'You also said that the girl seems able to feel Dé Danann magic.'
Aine nodded her head. 'She can,' she said. 'She's truly unusual, a stór. I'd been planning to have a chat with her... though, of course,' she paused as the outskirts of the village came into sight, '... now 'twill have to wait.'
Lon grunted in agreement, clearly understanding her meaning. The healer's curiosity regarding Kagome's eccentricities was more academic than anything, and someday, he knew, she would pursue the matter. Now, however, she had to deal with a child under the Stasis, and a tetchy soul-friend about to become mired in dealings with a malicious wraith.
Never rains but it pours, thought Lon, grimly.
The púca stopped within a small coppice and Aine slid from his back. Then, with a toss of his head, the horse flowed into the form of the youth. Holding out his hand, he gestured to Aine's satchel. 'I'll take that for you, lass,' he said.
With a sigh, Aine granted his wish. 'I've told you, Londubh... I'm barely feeling the drain.' Her expression saddened. ''Twas as I said – the poor mite, there was no fight in her against the Stasis.'
Lon nodded. 'Even so,' he answered. 'I'll do the lugging.' Reaching into the satchel, he withdrew a linen-wrapped bundle and grasped it by its tied corners. Then, with a soft smile which was meant to reassure himself as much as Aine, he threw the satchel over his shoulder and gestured towards the village. 'After you, my girl.'
Izumi returned the Dé Dananns' greetings warmly when they entered the main room of the headman's house. Takeo's daughter-in-law had just been suspending a pot of water over the cooking hearth – locking the pot hook in place, she stepped toward them.
'So, you're back!' she said. 'Did you enjoy your walk?'
Lon grinned in response. 'Indeed,' he said. 'We've brought you a present, so – a small thanks for your hospitality.' Then, with a flourish and a bow, he held out the linen bundle to the woman.
Izumi exclaimed with pleasure as she unfolded the cloth to reveal its contents.
'Bramble berries! These must be the first of the season!' She smiled softly at the foreign youth. 'Thank you, Lon kun.'
Lon shrugged and grinned. 'Just happened on them,' he said, quite truthfully.
The púca had scented the fruit while in horse form, just after he and Aine had left the birch ridge, and had immediately suggested to the healer that berry-picking would be a reasonable excuse for their longer than expected absence. Aine had agreed; taking a square of linen from her satchel, she had murmured a simple charm, and every ripe berry had flown into the make-shift container.
'Most were yet to ripen, or we'd have gotten more,' said Lon. 'We thought the boys might like a treat.' He looked about. Old Taro was still sleeping by the hearth, Aine already kneeling beside him to check on his progress, but there was no sign of the children. 'Speaking of which, where are they?' he asked.
Izumi gestured to the outdoors. 'Behind the house,' she answered. 'They were becoming restless inside. Kanaye was so much brighter this morning that I thought he could go outside, too. The little fox yokai has been telling them stories.' She shook her head, a reflective expression on her face. 'I can't believe I'm speaking so casually about a kitsune playing with my son.'
'Aye,' said Aine. She had risen from Taro's bedside to retrieve her satchel. She smiled at the mortal woman. 'I understand... I'd never even heard of Shippo's kind before meeting him. But, he's such a dear – he grows on you very quickly indeed.'
At that moment, scurrying steps were heard on the veranda and the fox-child himself appeared in the doorway. 'I thought I heard your voices!' he exclaimed as he bounced into the house.
'Ah, speak and he shall appear,' said Lon, who then chuckled as Shippo landed in his arms in one leap. He was sure that Aine would have been the fox-child's preferred target, but the healer was once more kneeling by Taro, her satchel now beside her.
'Hello, a mhadraín rua,' said Aine softly, as she looked up. Her hand was on the old man's forehead as she checked his fever. To her relief, it had finally abated. 'I hear you've been keeping the children entertained.'
Shippo grinned as he basked in the lady's approving tone. 'Yup! Kanaye's a lot better, though his foot's still tender. Shiro got to stay home from the fields to keep him company, too.'
He looked at Lon. 'Did you have any luck hunting?'
Lon raised one eyebrow, then a sad look appeared on his face. Setting Shippo down on the floor, he petted him on the head and sighed. 'Alas, no, little one. 'Twas a disappointing hunt.'
'Huh?' asked Shippo, now wide-eyed. 'What happened?' The kitsune understood enough about the older shape-shifter's abilities that he could not imagine him failing in such a task
'Well now,' answered Londubh, 'sure and didn't I see the grandest of pheasants. A fine, fat fellow he was. He'd just come into sight... and I was just about to loose my sling when... he was scared away.'
'What scared him?' asked the fox-child.
Londubh shook his head sadly, ignoring the pursed-lip look Aine had just shot his way. 'A dog,' said the púca. 'Came out of nowhere and spoiled my shot.'
'A dog followed you?' asked Izumi. 'It wasn't Yuki – he's been with the boys. What did it look like?'
'Big fellow,' answered Lon. 'Light-coloured coat with a great ruff 'round his shoulders,' he added. As he spoke, his sharp hearing caught a very faint, exasperated-sounding sigh coming from the other side of the room. However, his expression as he faced the mortal woman remained one of wide-eyed honesty.
Izumi looked puzzled. 'I can't think of any village dog that looks like that.'
Londubh shrugged. 'Well, he had kind of a lean look to him – I'm guessing he's been straying about for a while.'
'I must tell Akio to keep an eye out for it,' said Izumi, worriedly. 'It might go after the poultry...'
'Aye, missus,' answered the 'youth', nodding seriously. 'Might not be a bad idea...'
Meanwhile, Shippo had sidled over to where Aine sat. As he approached the healer, he paused, his sensitive nose detecting some familiar scents – then leaning oh-so-slightly toward her, he discretely sniffed the air. His eyes widened even further as he looked swiftly up at the healer.
Aine shook her head subtly. 'Aye, you've guessed right, little one,' she murmured softly as she reached over and gently brushed his fringe from his eyes. 'But, we'll speak of it later, hmm?'
The little kitsune could only nod, dumbfounded, as he again inhaled the distinct scents which clung to Aine's hands. He knew exactly with whom she had been in contact.
I don't think Akio has to worry about that dog chasing his chickens, thought the bemused Shippo.
Never one to stay inside long on a sunny day, Londubh accompanied Shippo as the little yokai made his way back outside to rejoin Shiro and Kanaye who were sitting in the shade of a plum tree. The púca paused on the veranda to flex and crack his neck, then rounded the corner of the house only to almost step on the fox demon.
Shippo had paused because a young man was now with the boys. The children seemed to know the newcomer, he realised. Remembering Hidenori's reaction to their presence, however, the kitsune suddenly felt cautious.
Lon, however, seemed to have no such concerns.
'Lads!' he called out, before walking over to the little group, a wary Shippo at his heels. As they approached, Yuki, who had been dozing beside the tree, leapt to his feet and bounded over with a glad bark. Lon bent to stroke the little dog, who wriggled with pleasure, then looked up and gave the boys and their visitor a disarming grin.
The stranger stood from where he had been crouching beside Kanaye, a slight frown appearing on his face. Londubh noted that he was still but a youth; in fact, he was not much older than the púca himself appeared in his current form.
'You're back!' cried Shiro. Smiling, the boy got up and approached the Dé Danann. 'Ma said you went into the forest...?'
Londubh raised one eyebrow, amused at the child's curiosity. Kanaye remained silent, but he also offered a shy grin of welcome. The injured boy, Lon noted, did indeed look decidedly brighter than he had the previous night.
'Aye, so we did,' the Dé Danann replied, ruffling Shiro's hair. 'I see you've a visitor...?'
The stranger nodded his head. 'I'm Eiji', he introduced himself. 'Kanaye's my brother.'
Introductions continued – to Shippo's relief, Eiji did not seem to share his father's opinions about yokai, although he was definitely watching the fox demon with a mixture of curiosity and wariness.
Then, Eiji turned to his younger brother. 'I've got to get back to the planting, Kanaye,' he said. 'Do like I said and stay put – Madam Izumi's said there's no problem with you staying here. There's no one to look after you at home, anyway, what with us all in the fields.'
'Are you sure Pa... Pa's not still mad?' asked the younger boy.
Shippo felt Londubh stiffen behind him. It was the fear in the child's voice he quickly realised, that had put his fellow shape-shifter on edge. For a moment, Shippo felt a chill; he remembered the look in the púca's eyes when the black horse had trapped the drunken man on his back.
What, the fox child wondered, would be Kanaye's fate if it turned out that they hadn't made any impression on Hidenori the previous night?
Eiji snorted. 'Pa don't have time to be mad,' answered the older boy. 'He's too busy coming off a bad binge. It took five of the village men to steer him home – someone found 'im lying at the crossroad, rantin' on about demon horses and the gods talking to 'im.' A grin briefly crossed the youth's face as he spoke – obviously, his sire's discomfort troubled him little. 'Last I checked, he was finally sleeping.
Kanaye's relief on hearing this was palpable. Asleep was exactly how the child preferred his father.
Eiji gave his youngest brother a light cuff on the shoulder. 'Sit tight, Kanaye,' he said. Then, he nodded to the others and left.
Londubh watched the boy go. 'Is he the eldest in your family?' he asked Kanaye.
The boy nodded. 'Yeah,' he answered. 'Pa doesn't bother much with him or the others – they're working the farm all the time.'
Lon considered the sturdy build of the young man who was walking down the farm lane. No, thought the púca, I imagine he doesn't. That fellow looks like he could land a solid punch of his own.
Looking again at the children, he pasted a friendly grin on his face. Time to lighten the mood, he thought.
'Shippo, my lad,' he said then, as he sat cross-legged on the ground in the tree's shade. 'Have I ever told you the tale about the fox who was so clever, he managed to steal a cartload of fish from a farmer...?
Shippo's eyes lit up as he bounced over to Kanaye's side, gesturing to Shiro to sit, too. 'This should be good!' he said, in a pig's whisper.
Aine studied the old man lying before her. She was now alone in the room with her patient, Izumi having gone to the well for some water.
Taro had woken within moments of Izumi's exit. He had quietly allowed Aine to manoeuvre him into a more comfortable position and coax him into drinking some water. The elderly man smiled at her then, his expression holding the innocence and trust of a child and, for a moment, the healer again felt a stirring of doubt about what she planned to do.
'Pretty flower,' murmured Old Taro. 'So bright and warm... You're like the sunlight...' Then, with a soft sigh, he drifted into sleep again.
Aine gave him a contemplative look. This was the second time he had connected her with a light, which again made her wonder if he could somehow sense her aura of power.
Or, is the comment simply no more than a product of his unsettled mind? she mused.
Then, she could hear Izumi calling to someone; distantly, a female voice called in response from the direction of the lane. From the farm wife's tone, it was obvious that the person approaching was someone well-known to her. With Izumi thus distracted, the healer realised that she had been granted a most opportune moment.
It was time to act.
Placing one hand on Taro's forehead and the other on his wrist, Aine formed a healing link. 'Codlóidh tú anois...' she whispered, magically deepening the man's slumber.
How ironic, she reflected, that it would take so little to reverse sixty years of madness. Singing softly to herself, she wove threads of magic through the old mortal's life force; its effect catalysed by the melody of the familiar lullaby, the healing spell swirled into the essence that was Taro... and soothed the chaos within his mind into order.
'Welcome back, grey one,' Aine murmured to the sleeping old man.
Just as the healer was tucking the thin blanket around her elderly patient, Izumi entered the house, water jug in hand. She placed her burden in a corner, then immediately turned back to the door.
'One of the neighbours is coming up the path,' she said over her shoulder to Aine, as she again walked out of doors. 'I'll be right out, Hanako!' she called.
Taking one last look at the sleeping Taro, Aine arose and moved to the shadowed doorway to see who had arrived.
A short, matronly-looking woman was trotting toward the house, her face red from moving so quickly in the heat. 'Is it true, Izumi?' she asked, puffing slightly. 'Is it true there's a healer come to the village?'
Izumi nodded. 'Yes, Hanako – she's in the house.'
Hearing this, Aine took it as her cue to step forward. 'Greetings,' she said, with a graceful bow. 'I am called Aine Ní Airmed.'
The newcomer gaped at what, to her, was a most exotic-appearing (and tall!) woman. 'Ah!' she exclaimed. 'So, the rumours were right...! Red hair and green eyes! That is –' With an abrupt intake of breath, the now obviously embarrassed woman abruptly bowed. 'I apologise!' she gasped. 'I meant no rudeness! I am pleased to meet you, lady,' she said. 'I am Hanako.'
Aine swiftly stepped down from the veranda and walked over to the woman who, to the healer's consternation, continued bowing in apology. Behind her, a slightly exasperated-looking Izumi rolled her eyes skyward; she was well familiar with her neighbour's ability to become flustered.
While Aine smiled worriedly and continued to offer reassurances to Hanako that there was no harm done, really, and she certainly had not been insulted, the neighbour woman managed to explain her presence. There were three more children in the village who had been showing signs of the mysterious fever, she told the healer (between bows); all had been brought to her house, which was nearby, in the hope that Aine would attend them there.
In the meantime, the conversation in the front yard had gained the attention of those in the back. Just out of site, at the corner of the farmhouse, Lon found himself being treated to the sight of a increasingly patient-looking Aine trying to converse with a little pudding of a woman who was bobbing and dipping like a waterhen. Just behind him stood the children and Shippo, each taking a turn to peek around his legs at the scene near the front veranda.
'Who's that?' Shippo was asking Shiro, who was holding onto Yuki to keep the little dog from betraying their presence.
'Granny Hanako,' came the boy's whispered reply. 'She's always like that,' he added with a soft huff.
Londubh almost laughed aloud at the child's jaded tone. Then, seeing that his lass had finally managed to soothe the little hen, he decided it was time to join the adults. 'Best go back to your play, lads,' he said softly. 'I think Aine might have need of me.'
The púca's sharp ears had caught the gist of the women's conversation, and he realised that Aine would be leaving to attend more mortals struck by the mysterious fever. He also knew that she hardly needed his assistance for such a simple task. However, given what they had just experienced while in Sesshoumaru's company, he was not yet ready to let her go off on her own.
Planting a most innocent and amiable smile on his face, he strode forward.
Stepping out onto the little porch of the Mizumimoto shrine, Miroku arched his back and stretched. The young monk was glad to be back outdoors. Although not exactly confining, the little shrine had started to become quite warm and, despite the heat of the day, a soft breeze was blowing which he found refreshing.
In the end, Miroku had perused most of the shrine's manuscripts on his own while Kagome had spoken with Takeo. Since discovering Lord Ryunosuke's fate, the headman's distress had been almost palpable. Nevertheless, the older man had still been very willing to answer Kagome's questions about the waterfall (Miroku strongly suspected that he had been glad of the distraction). Takeo had told Kagome how to find the cascade; then, he had explained the significance of the location.
The waterfall, Takeo had explained, was the place where Ryunosuke had met his betrothed.
Miroku had paused in his reading to listen at that point; now, he considered the story he had heard. On the surface, it had seemed a straightforward tale, even 'romantic' as Kagome had readily sighed. Ryunosuke had stopped at the waterfall to quench his thirst, having been on his way home from a day of hunting. Then, he had met the Lady Yugao who had been resting there after a very long journey.
The young lord had apparently been enchanted by her at first sight.
'But... she was all alone?' Kagome had asked, then. 'There was no one with her?'
Takeo had shrugged slightly. 'The account does not say,' he had answered. He had then explained that he had always assumed that Yugao had travelled with a retinue of some sort, because the documents had always referred to her as 'Lady' Yugao.
'This may sound odd,' the older man had then said, 'But... I've wondered if Daisuke's lack of detail had a purpose. On most of the valley's history, his writings are very detailed but, as I told you, he says little of the daimyo's lady. Oh, he tells of her gentle disposition and of how much the daimyo esteemed her, but gives nothing of her history, other than she had lost her home after her parents' death and had been wandering since...'
Miroku was now considering this information – or rather, its lack thereof. He had found a similar want of detail in the records about the demon who had killed Lord Ryunosuke. The creature had been described by adjectives such as evil and deceitful, but there had been no mention of what kind of demon it had been
The monk could only conclude that the daimyo's steward had deliberately withheld the information.
But, why? wondered Miroku. What was he hiding, or... was he protecting something?
Still, there had been much in Daisuke's account about the battle itself, and those details had added credence to a theory Miroku had formed on hearing that there were two seals holding Ryuonsuke's soul to the demon-bone magari yari.
The spear's inherent power is a barrier which protects its wielder against demonic energy, mused Miroku. This was not surprising to the monk – the weapon had, after all, been forged in Sango's village.
The daimyo faced the demon on the lakeshore, thought Miroku, and he used the spear to slay it - but the moment it was pierced by the spear, the demon managed to bypass the barrier... by forcing another to act on its behalf.
Somehow, the beast had taken control over the mind of one of the young lord's own men and had compelled the soldier to strike Ryunosuke from behind.
And that, the monk concluded, must have been when it happened.
Two seals, he thought. One on the spear, binding Ryunosuke's soul – one elsewhere, binding the spear's power. And, since the battle was at the lakeshore... that would be the most logical location of the second seal.
Did this mean, Miroku then wondered, that the ghost's presence was connected to the seal? Does the spectre guard or somehow sustain the seal – as vengeance against its slayer, perhaps? Was Ryunosuke's continued imprisonment the reason the ghost haunted the lake?
Miroku believed this theory had merit, although he would certainly run it by the others before he took any action.
Then, a particularly sad conclusion sprang to Miroku's mind.
If Ryunosuke had not been sealed to the spear... would he have survived his injuries? How different life would have been for the people of the valley, he thought, if their daimyo and his descendants had continued to administer and protect this region.
According to Daisuke's records, the daimyo had not wanted the spear out of his sight and had kept it by his as he had given his steward his last orders, struggling for every breath, he had kept the spear within reach.
Had he felt his soul being drawn into the spearhead? wondered Miroku.
The monk sighed, then regarded his cursed hand. He could well understand the helplessness the young lord must have felt. Miroku then started, momentarily caught off guard as Kagome and Takeo emerged from the door behind him.
'You looked like you were deep in thought,' observed Kagome with a faint smile.
Miroku rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. 'Indeed,' he answered. He nodded to the headman. 'My thanks again, Master Takeo, for allowing me access to the shrine's documents. I was truly amazed at their excellent condition, after two centuries...' – he looked about him – ...'but, then again, the entire shrine has been beautifully maintained.'
Takeo smiled at these words. 'Thank you, good monk,' he replied. 'Caring for this shrine has long been a duty of love for my family.' He sighed as he ran his hand down the polished wood of the door frame. 'Of course, I have not been able to enjoy those tasks as much these past few years since assuming the duties of headman, but I've Akio and Izumi to help, of course... and now young Shiro.'
'You weren't always the headman?' asked Kagome.
Takeo shook his head. 'Bless you, child, no – our last leader, Sato, lived to a great age. His elder son would have become headman, but he died more than twenty years ago... and it was a foregone conclusion that the villagers would not accept his grandson as their leader.'
A memory from the previous evening leapt to Miroku's mind. 'Hidenori,' he said, remembering the truculent man's claim that he was more deserving of the position of headman than Takeo.
The older man nodded. 'Yes, you've the right of it, Master Miroku – Hidenori. I'm sure Sato would have handed over his responsibilities years ago, but he knew how unreliable his only grandson was. He asked me on his deathbed to accept the task, and...' Takeo shrugged and sighed. 'How could I refuse him?'
Kagome looked puzzled, then asked, 'But, Master Takeo... you said Sato's elder son had died. What happened to his other son?'
'Ah... Hidenori's uncle is alive – but he'll never become headman.' Here Takeo gave the girl a soft, sad smile.
'Sato's younger son is Taro.'
A few moments later, a familiar voice called to Miroku and Kagome; then, Sango and Kirara landed in the clearing by the shrine. As soon as the demon-slayer dismounted, the firecat returned to her smaller size and leapt into her mistress' arms. At the same time, a disgruntled-looking InuYasha emerged from the nearby woods.
From the expression on InuYasha's face, Kagome and Miroku swiftly concluded that the hunt for the snake demons had not gone well.
'What happened, InuYasha?' asked Kagome.
Scowling, the half-demon looked at the ground and crossed his arms. 'Huh! We found the tunnels, but there are too many of them. The trail is impossible to follow.'
'Too many...?' asked Takeo, hesitantly. The old man suddenly knew that he was not going to like the answer.
Sango gave the headman a sympathetic look. 'It's not just a small nest.' she said. 'It's a warren. Some of the tunnels are very old, but most are recent and... the northernmost edge of the valley is littered with them.'
'How many?' asked a grim-looking Miroku.
Sango shook her head. 'It's hard to say. Those burrows can go for miles, crossing over and intersecting – it's just... a maze. Father told me that this kind of snake yokai could form large colonies, but the number of tunnels InuYasha and I saw exceeds anything I would have expected. But, I'd guess...'
'Hundreds,' interrupted InuYasha, not noticing Takeo's abrupt blanching. 'Hundreds of the damn things passed through those tunnels.' And, he thought angrily, Naraku's stink was clinging to every trail. 'It's impossible to chose which one to follow,' he continued, his shoulders slumping slightly.
'Hundreds?' Takeo stepped forward, looking ill. 'There were never such numbers in the past,' he said.
'Well, there are now,' answered InuYasha. 'Or, there were.'
Miroku cleared his throat. '"Were?" Could you be more precise?' He looked sideways at Sango who had just sighed softly. From the expression on the demon-slayer's face, the monk deduced that she had probably planned to break this news a bit more gently to the headman.
Meanwhile, InuYasha suddenly realised that everyone was watching him with expressions ranging from exasperation (Kagome) to abject fear (Takeo). 'What?' He snapped as he crossed his arms again, this time defensively.
'You said there were hundreds of snake demons,' said Kagome, who by now feeling very sorry indeed for Takeo. The elderly man had suffered enough stress already that day, she thought. 'Are you saying they've gone?'
The half-demon snorted. 'Looks like it. The tracks we found were made by a swarm of demons leaving in a rush, and the scent's at least a couple of days old.'
Sango nodded. 'There should also be tracks entering the tunnels, but there aren't – and that kind of snake yokai always return to their nest before daylight. But then, the question remains... what happened to them?'
'Huh,' growled InuYasha. 'That's easy! I'm guessing those half-fried snakes we ran across two days ago probably weren't the only ones that got their tails burnt. Something killed 'em.'
Takeo let out a breath he had been holding. The threat of the snake demons certainly hadn't vanished, but at least there might not be 'hundreds' after all. Still, he thought, he would make sure that the village was on guard for any sign that the demons had returned and said as much now.
Meanwhile, Miroku and Sango shared a concerned look. Without speaking, each knew what the other was thinking.
If, indeed, hundreds of snake demons had been destroyed, then what – or who – had been responsible?
The walk back from the shrine to the village was a much warmer one, and Kagome could feel her blouse beginning to stick to her back, pressed as it was beneath her quiver of arrows. The teenager was grateful for the shade of the surrounding trees. She didn't know how Sango and Miroku, wrapped in the clothing typical of mediaeval Japan, barely showed any sign of feeling the summer heat.
Maybe they're insulated by all those layers, thought Kagome as she surreptitiously loosened the top button of her blouse.
Takeo had told them that there was no question of them having their midday meal anywhere but at his home, and Kagome was just thinking longingly of food – and a cool drink of water – when a grinning kitsune came bouncing up the path toward them.
'What're you doing here, squirt?' asked InuYasha. The hanyo's tone was gruff; the frustration he had felt on finding yet another cold trail for Naraku had hardly eased.
Shippo threw InuYasha a cautious look, picking up on the half-demon's bad mood and guessing the probable reason for it. Then, he grinned and addressed the entire group.
'Izumi thought someone should check on you,' he chirped.
Takeo chuckled.
'In other words, my daughter-in-law has food waiting for us.'
'Yep,' said Shippo, as he fell into step by Kagome. The two continued walking together, just ahead of the group. A few feet behind them, Sango and Miroku were suggesting to Takeo that they would both be happy to provide advice and assistance toward improving the security of the village against yokai attacks, while a silent InuYasha brought up the rear. Kagome wondered for a moment what had the half-demon so deep in thought (pensive moments were few and far between for InuYasha), then her attention returned to Shippo's bright chatter about his morning.
'I guess you had a good time with the boys, didn't you, Shippo?' asked the girl, smiling.
The kitsune nodded. 'Kanaye's doing a lot better,' he said. 'Lady Aine and Londubh came back' he added. 'But, they've gone again.'
'Gone?' asked Kagome.
'Oh, they didn't go far,' answered Shippo. 'Just to a neighbour lady's so that Aine can look after some more sick kids.' The fox-child sighed, then he brightened. 'But,' he said softly, 'Aine will make them better, won't she?'
Again, Kagome smiled. 'I'm sure she will, Shippo.' She paused, then asked, 'Were they away all morning, Shippo?' Kagome had had the impression that Londubh had not expected hunting to be terribly time consuming.
'Most of the morning,' said Shippo his tone now cautious. 'Lon said he didn't have any luck hunting, but there was a good reason for it...um...'
'Shippo?' asked Kagome, curious about what now had Shippo looking so thoughtful. To her surprise, the little yokai bounced up onto her shoulder. Then, leaning in, he whispered. 'They found what Lady Aine was looking for...'
Kagome blinked, momentarily confused. Then, her eyes widened and she realised why Shippo was being – for him – circumspect.
Aine met Sesshoumaru? Sesshoumaru is here? In this valley? came Kagome's thoughts in rapid progression.
That, the teenager realised, was just too big a coincidence. Not that she thought Aine had had anything to do with the dog demon's presence – after all, the Dé Danann woman had told them that she had been hoping that they could direct her to Sesshoumaru's location. No, thought Kagome, Sesshoumaru was here for something major, and that something probably was the same thing that had drawn their own group to the valley.
Naraku.
'I see,' breathed Kagome. Whoo boy... she thought. Then, with a somewhat forced laugh, she asked Shippo to tell her more about his own day. She was not going to reveal the presence of InuYasha's half-brother to the others at this time. For one thing, she wanted to avoid aggravating an already touchy hanyo. More importantly, however, she wanted to spare Takeo any further stress and worry. The older man had already had an awful morning – telling him that there was now a powerful taiyokai prowling the valley would be too cruel.
Shippo had barely begun to continue his stories, however, when they heard a yell from the direction of the village . A small, familiar form was running toward them.
'Gramps!'
Takeo looked up. 'Shiro?' he said. Then, he called out, 'Shiro! What is it?'
The boy came running up; panting for breath he almost skidded to a halt in front of his grandfather, drawing curious looks form the whole group. The boy was literally bouncing with excitement.
'Grampa!' he said between gasps. 'Ma said to tell you...'
'Tell me what?' asked the headman. His grandson didn't seem frightened, per se, but he was definitely agitated.
'Taro's awake – and he's talking!'
Takeo shook his head, surprised that this should make Izumi send the boy to fetch him. Taro's ramblings had never bothered his daughter-in-law before now. Still, perhaps it was the boy who needed reassurance.
'You mustn't mind him, Shiro' said Takeo patting the boy on the shoulder. 'Taro might go on and on with his nonsense, but he won't hurt you...'
Shiro was shaking his head. 'No, no! Grampa... he's talking normal.' Shiro then grinned. 'Ma said to tell you that Old Taro knows who he is and where he is and... he wants to see you!'
Silence reigned over the rocky slopes at the upper end of the Valley of Mizumimoto as their latest visitor landed on a narrow ledge, just above one of the many round-mouthed caves that dotted the area. Unlike InuYasha, this visitor did not bother to investigate all of the entrances to the snakes' warren.
As he had earlier said to Lady Aine and the shape-shifter, Sesshoumaru had no interest in snakes. What else their dens might hold, however, was another matter.
Silent and still, the dog demon looked over the landscape before him, his expression impassive. His senses, however, were rapidly evaluating his surroundings. He recognised InuYasha's scent, and knew that the half-demon had been and gone, apparently having realised the futility of trying to chase the snakes into their own labyrinthine hive.
One elegant eyebrow rose slightly at the thought of the volatile half-breed actually managing to display good sense.
The hanyo's activities merited only a passing consideration, however. Sesshoumaru was looking for signs of more intelligent life than the lesser demons Naraku had thrown at him as a taunt.
By stealing Rin's soul, Kakusamaru had raised his status with the dog demon from insignificant messenger to that of targeted prey.
How exactly the Lake of Tears' ghost – 'Taka', as it was apparently called – was involved in Naraku's machinations and Rin's abduction, the taiyokai had yet to discover. However, the spirit could not be approached until nightfall; Lady Aine's information had corroborated Kakusamaru's claim that something prohibited it from manifesting in daylight. The dog demon knew where to find the ghost, in any case – Aine had mentioned a mansion associated with it, and he had spotted the ruined buildings while flying over the lake's barren shoreline.
He would not, however, wait there like a supplicant until sunset.
Sesshoumaru had decided that a more efficient use of his time would be to perform a thorough reconnaissance of the valley, perhaps gaining further insight into Naraku's purpose there while doing so.
And, if, by happy coincidence, he found some clue as to where Kakusamaru had gone to ground, so much the better.
He had little doubt that Kakusamaru – being of shadow that he was – would prefer to hide now that the sun had reached its zenith. The woodlands provided shade, certainly, but not enough to long satisfy one that melded so with darkness. When Sesshoumaru had detected the stench of snake yokai, and then had spotted the den entrances from above, he had quickly deduced his prey's probable refuge.
Thus, he now scanned the barren-looking slope. It was entirely too quiet, he realised. Even the local wildlife was shunning the place. Of course, the snakes might account for that, but still...
His eyes narrowed as his sharp gaze focussed on a nondescript plot of trees and rock.
Illusion... Hnh.
Unlike the rest of the immediate area, this area showed no disruption by the passage of snakes. There were no broken twigs, nor were there any flattened patches of grass. Even though it was not directly beside a den entrance, with so many of cumbersome yokai churning about during an en masse exit, Sesshoumaru knew it would have been impossible for any nearby vegetation to have escaped some damage.
In the blink of an eye, Sesshoumaru had moved from the slope to the area in question. Stepping forward, he watched as the trees and bushes suddenly took on a more abused appearance – many were not only broken, but were also showing signs of decay. Then, a large cave mouth materialised before him.
He stepped inside.
Immediately, two things were obvious to the dog demon. First of all, Naraku's taint was strongest here – there was even evidence of damage to the rocky walls which could only have come from contact with a poisonous miasma. At some time in the past, therefore, his enemy had passed through this cave. Secondly... Sesshoumaru found himself faced with the same futility of purpose as had been InuYasha.
There was no more point to exploring this cave than any of the others. The movement of the air within the cavern told him that multiple tunnels, reeking of lesser yokai, extended beyond the back of the cavern.
In the end, the taiyokai grimly acknowledged, it was simply another entrance into the snakes' warren.
He turned to walk away, then paused. Turning his head slightly, he listened. There was a soft whisper of a breeze, even though there was very little in the way of wind outside the cave. Distantly, he could hear water flowing, implying that deep within cavern flowed an underground spring or stream. But, other than these sounds, all was as unnaturally still as the landscape outside.
Yet...
His prey was near – he could feel it. Instinct was insisting that something within the darkness was watching him. But, how to flush the creature into the open?
His gaze moved to the sword at his side. Of course, there was another option.
As quickly as the thought occurred to the dog demon, however, he discounted it. It was with considerable frustration that Sesshoumaru realised that he would have to stay his hand – for now.
The taiyokai was fully capable of destroying not only this cave (and whatever hid within it), but also the maze of tunnels which lay beyond it and which apparently led to Naraku's new hiding place. The Tenseiga's new power, the meido, though no more than an undeveloped crescent, was still powerful enough to wreck havoc if Sesshoumaru chose to direct it into the mountainside.
But, Kakusamaru was still his main resource to retrieving Rin's soul. Honour must be satisfied before vermin could be exterminated.
The dog demon doubted that the shadow-user's participation in this whole farce was at an end. There would be another opportunity.
His gaze focussed once more on the darkness in the depths of the cave. Then, Sesshoumaru exited the cave.
From the deep shadows at the back of the cave, a fragment of darkness separated from the whole and solidified into the form of Kakusamaru. The blue-skinned demon released a shuddering breath; then, with a nervous chuckle, spoke over his shoulder.
'Close... Eh, Kanna?'
There was no answer from the stillness that was Kanna. Her face as devoid of expression as ever, the pale girl merely looked down at the dark face of what had been her mirror.
'What did he want?' continued the male incarnation. 'Were we wrong about his need for vengeance? Do you think he is beginning to lose interest now that his pet human has expired?'
Kanna blinked, then looked up, her dark eyes starring at the place where the dog demon had stood. She had never had any direct dealings with the inu yokai. Her only exposure to him had been when she had spied on him for Naraku through her mirror. Kagura had met him, she knew, but her 'sister' had never spoken of her interactions with him.
Nevertheless, Kanna had some understanding of Sesshoumaru, because she had understood Kagura
Kakusamaru was now shooting the smaller yokai a puzzled look. 'Well? What say you, Kanna?' he asked.
'Sesshoumaru has not lost interest,' came the soft answer.
The shadow-user waited, but no further comment came from his 'little mother', suddenly leaving him feeling apprehensive about the night to come.
A/N: Just to clarify about timelines: This story takes place just before the Tessaiga gained its Dragon Scale ability. Therefore, Sesshoumaru has barely begun to explore the potential of the Tenseiga's meido and he has not yet met Byakuya (he never had any direct interaction with Kanna, to my knowledge and so would know nothing of her). So, even though he recognised that an illusion was used, he would not know (or probably care) who created it. Naturally, he will make the connection later when he eventually meets up with Byakuya in canon. ;)
Nollaig shona dhaoibh!
